From a recent conversation on a preserved line near here ( Tanfield ), UK regulations prevented them from pushing passenger trains these days. It certainly may have been common in the old steam days, but not so now, at least on Tanfield and NYMR.

Steve

I thought the HSTs, when a class 91 (I think) replaced the diesel units, had a DVT (driving van trailer) on the other end. The DVT, not being powered means that the train is 'push-pull' at high speeds.
It could be that passenger trains arn't allowed to be propelled when the driver can't change ends.

Hi David
I can't find any specific reference to tender first running in the British Rule Book but it was fairly common, especially on branch lines without turntables when these weren't operated by tank locos. French regulations specified that, unless authorised, locos could only run tender first for a maximum of 50 kilometres at a maximum speed of 50 kilometres per hour. It wasn't uncommon to fit tender cabs- often knocked up in the workshop- and I guess locos with these would have been allowed to run tender first quite freely. Tender first operation would presumably have been more difficult in N. America for locos not specifically designed for it simply because locos there carry powerful headlights.

Turning Ys were quite common on American railroads where there was plenty of space to build them and these might be a few hundred yards down the track from the main station yard so if you want to be strict about avoiding tender first running you could always run the loco off into the fiddle yard and use a Peco loco lift to represent an off-stage Y.

Mind you, at last year's Festival a Vapeur on the Baie de Somme a steam special came up from Paris (about a hundred miles away) hauled by the Pacific Vapeur Club's class G Pacific and with no turning faciity at Noyelles that ran one way tender first. Since it was chucking it down with rain that day it must have been less than comfortable for the crew.

Current regulations allow tender engines to run tender first at a maximum speed of 50mph and I suspect British Rail would have had a similar restriction. As for tank engines, I think these are generally assumed to be bi-directional as BR60103 said. As the speed limit under the Light Railway Act is 25mph this rule doesn't really apply to most preserved railways who will generally run tender first in one direction - generally the chimney will be at the uphill end.

Of course, if you model the Ffestiniog Railway's Double Fairlies you can always run chimney first with no turntables involved!